Electric connector



E. A. KUEN.

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1920.

1 $22,992, Patented July 18, 1922.

. taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

EUGENE A KUEN, or cmermin'rr, onro, essrenon To run recs. '3. oortoonanLAME? COMPANY, 0F CIENCINNATI,

OHIO, A COBPOTION GE OHIO.

anaerzaro "connect on;

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- Application filed ma 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that l, EUGENE KUEN a citizen of the United States,residing at C111- cinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricConnectors, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention relates to electric connectors, especially: to suchconnectors having two terminals or sts.

It is the ob ect of my invention to provide novel means wherebyseparation of the ter minals is assured, so as to preventtheshortcircuiting of the terminals; further, to provide novel means forsecuring in place a separating strip between the terminals; and,further, to provide novel means for securmg the electric conductors tothe terminals.

The invention will be further readily understood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawing in which lat-' ter:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a connector, partly broken away,embodying my im rove'd device.

ig.2 represents an edge elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 represents a rear end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is an axial sectionof the same,

Fig. 6 is an axial section of the same, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.r Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 77 of Fig. 1.Fig. 8 is a detail in section on the line 88 of Fig. 7'; and,

i Fig. 9 is an axial section of a modificabiles and other vehicles.

tion ofmy improved device showing my invention applied to a connectorarranged to receive plugs at the respective ends thereof.

My improved device is e'speciallyapplicable in connection withconnectors used. for electric lamps employin electric lamp-bulbs havingtwo end-termina s, and used as headlights, spotslights and the like forautomo- Such a bulb is exemplified at 11, having the end terminals 12,

.13, which connectwith the filament of the lamp.

The connector comprises a tube 15,- which is adapted to be received andpositioned in usual manner in ausu'al cylindrical flange at the rear endof the reflector of thelamp.

providedwith a transverse hole 41.. .an electric conductor provided withan in- Specification of Letters Patent. Pat t fg J fi 1 192 i 1920.Serial "no. acaeoa.

The plug 16 of the electrie li ht bulb 'isre- CBIVGd- 1n the end of thetube, and has suitable mechanical connection therewith, indicated by thepm and bayonet slot connectron 17.

An insulating block or washer 21, indicated as a comparatively thinwasher, for instance of insulatingfiber, is fixed in the tube, forlnstance my means of indenting the body of the tube with inwardlyextendmg prongs 22, against which one end of the washer is received, andprongs 23 bent againsttheother end of the washer for pcsitioning thewasher endwise in the tube.

Terminal. posts 25, 26, are received in the washer. Each of the postscomprises a sleeve 27, which is provided'with an annu lar shoulder 28,and a peripheral seat 29, which latter is preferably of greater diameterthan the outer end 30 of the sleeve. A. spring 31 is located in thesleeve between the bottom end of the bore. 32 in the sleeve and aplunger The plunger is provided titiv with an inner annular shoulder 34arranged to contact an annular flange 35 at the'outer -end of the bore,forming a stop for the out .ward movement of the plunger, this stopbeing formed by spinning or upsetting the outer edge of the wall of thebore after the plunger has been placed in the bore.

The insulating washer is provided with holes 39 into which the ends ofthe terminal posts are received, the posts being forced into these holesso that the peripheral seats 29 make firm contact with the walls of theholes, the shoulders 28 bearing against one end of the washer.

' The outer end of each of the sleeves is 42 is wardly flaring annularflange. The elec-- electric conductor is bent across the outer end.

of the tubular portion and the opposite face of the terminal post, andacross the end of the terminal post, where the ends of the wire or wiresare soldered to the end of the terminal ost by asuitable solder, shownat his positions the end of the insulating material within the ferruleagainst the shoulder 48, and fixes the endwise relation between theelectric conductor, the insulating material, the ferrule, and the post.It

further insures excellent electric connection between the electricconductor and the terminal post] The ferrule aids in directing fiexureof and in supporting the electric conductor and insulating material, toprevent abrupt bends therein, distinctly aided by the outwardly curvedannular flange at the outer end of the cup-portion.

- The insulating body or washer, in which the sleeves are located, isprovided with a radial slot 55. An insulating plate 56, formed forinstance of insulating fibre, is positioned in the slot, and has aprojection extending radially at the end of the insulating body orwasher, and between the terminals or posts. Radially extending portions57, 58, of the insulating plate are shown at the respective ends of theinsulating body or washer, for locating a separating 1nsulation betweenthe portions of the electric terminals or posts at both ends of theinsulating body or washer. The invention is peculiarly useful whenemploying a thin fibre Washer as the support for the terminal posts.

This separating insulating strip is preferably of substantial U-form,the limbs of the U being received at both ends of the insulating blockor washer between the portions of the binding posts or terminals at bothends of the washer. The base or shank 59 of the U is located in the slotin the washer.

The insulating separating strip is positioned in the washer prior to theinsertion of the washer into the tube 15. The construction is such thatthe insulating strip is radially insertible, and connected with theinsulating block or washer by radial movement of the insulating strip,for locating the shank'59 of the insulating strip in the slot 55 in thewasher. The washer and insulating strip are inserted and the washerfastened in the tube, thereby also fastening the 1 ,eaaeea insulatingstrip in place, against radial movements and against lateral andlengthwise movements. 1

The pressure of the plug of the electric lamp when inserted in theconnector is toward that end of the insulating block or washer at whichthe annular shoulders 28 on the sleeves are located.

In case there should be any looseness of fit between the electricterminals or posts and the insulating block or washer and a tendency onthe part of the electric terminals or posts to wobble or be forced outof parallelism with each other, the insulating strip between the samepreserves the electric separation. between them and prevents an arcingor short-circuiting of electricity between the electric terminals orposts, and between the posts and the tube, and the location of saidradial insulating strip between the ferrules 45 also prevents anapproach between the ferrules which might cause short-circuiting betweensaid ferrules.

Referring to Fig. 9, I have illustrated my invention as applied todouble-ended posts, the corresponding parts bein indicated bycorresponding but primed re erence numerals. In this instance, thewasher 21 is held in place between the prongs 22 and pron s 61 struckinwardly from the body of t e tube. The electric posts are provided withplungers at each end thereof. The ends of the sleeves opposite to theends in which the plungers 33' are received, have the bores 32 continuedtherein for'receiving plungers 62, provided with annular shoulders 63arraiwed to be stopped by annular flanges 64 at the opposite ends of thesleeves, forming stops to limit outward movement of the plungers 62." Aspring 31 is in this instance located between the two plungers, fornormally urging both plungers outwardly. A suitable electric conductingplug 65 is releasably secured to the opposite end of the tube 15 by thebayonet slot and pin connection 66. The lug is provided with terminals-67, 68, with which electric conductors 69, 70, are suitably connected.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric connector, the combination of an insulating body, apair of electric terminals positioned thereby, and a substantiallyU-shaped insulating strip, said insulating bodyprovided with a slot, thebase shank in said slot and extensions at the respective ends of saidinsulating body, said shank held in said 'slot by said tube and saidinsulating strip held endwise on said body by said extensions.

3. In an electric connector, the combination of a tube, an insulatingbody therein, a pair of terminal posts in said insulating body andextending from said insulating body from the respective ends thereof,said insulating body provided with a slot, and an insulating stripprovided with a shank and limbs at the respective ends of said shank,said shank located in said slot and held therein radially by said tubeand said limbs located at the respective ends of said insulating bodyand extending past the longitudinal projection of said slot whereby tolocate said limbs between said extensions of said terminal posts at therespective ends of said insulating body.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo sub-

